Apparatus for installing and retrieving equipment from underwater wells



July 23, 1963 J A HAEBER 3,098,525

APPARATUS FOR 'INS'TALLING AND RETRIEVING EQUIPMENT FROM UNDERWATER WELLS Filed April 27, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I INVENTOR:

J. A. HAEBER HIS AGENT J. A. HAEBER R INSTALLING AND RETRIEVING July 23, 1963 APPARATUS F0 EQUIPMENT FROM UNDERWATER WELLS Filed April 27. 1961 INVENTOR: Y J. A. HAEBER BY: 4 m6 (1% HIS AGENT July 23, 1963 J. A. HAEBER 3,098,525

APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING AND RETRIEVING EQUIPMENT FROM UNDERWATER WELLS Filed April 27, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR:

J. A. HAEBER FIG.

Filed April 27, 1961 J. A. HAEBER APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING AND RETRIEVING EQUIPMENT FROM UNDERWATER WELLS sa es FIG. 6

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORZ J. A. HAEBER BY:@ Hm

HIS AGENT United States Patent 3,098,525 APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING AND RETRIEVIN G EQUIPMENT FROM UNDERWATER WELLS John A. Haeber, Houston, Tern, assignor to Shell Oil.

Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 105,969

6 Claims. (Cl. 166-665) This invention relates to apparatus for use at offshore well installations and pertains more particularly to a well casing hanger adapted to anchor a string of well casing in an underwater well casinghead, and it further pertains to equipment for lowering and setting a casing hanger or other wellhead equipment within an underwater well cas inghead and/ or subsequently retrieving various pieces of equipment from the well casinghead.

In an attempt to locate new oil fields an increasing amount of well drilling has been conducted at offshore locations, such for example, as off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas and California. As a general rule, the strings of casing in a well, together with the tubing string or strings, extend to a point well above the surface of the water where they are closed in the conventional manner that is used on land wells, with a conventional wellhead assembly being attached to the top of the casing. Attempts have been made recently to provide methods and apparatus for drilling, completing and working-over a well wherein both the well casinghead and the various wellhead components secured thereto or suspended therefrom are located underwater at a depth sufiicient to allow ships to pass over them. Preferably, the casinghead and its associated equipment is located close to the ocean floor. In

order to install equipment of this type underwater in depths greater than the shallow depth at which a diver can easily operate, it has been necessary to design entirely new equipment for this purpose. Thus, after drilling an oil or gas Well at an offshore location in a manner 1 described in copending patent application, Serial No. 830,538, filed July 30, 1959, and entitled Underwater Well Completion Method, strings of casing may be run into the well and suspended from the well casinghead by equipment of the present invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for installing, from an operational base positioned above a body of water, strings of well casing and tubing in a well drilled in the formation below a body of water wherein the Well casinghead is fixedly positioned at a substantial depth below the surface of the water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for installing, from an operational base positioned above a body of water, various pieces of equipment on a casinghead or wellhead assembly positioned underwater, during the drilling, completion or maintenance of an offshore well.

A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for lowering various pieces of equipment to an underwater wellhead casinghead or wellhead assembly, wherein the lowering apparatus is provided with means for remotely connecting to or being disconnected from a piece of equipment that is to be raised from or lowered to an underwater wellhead assembly.

A still further object of the present invention is to prolocation While a string of well casing is being installed in the well;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken in longitudinal cross-section of a casing hanger of the present invention seated within a casinghead with a running tool or connector device being shown as positioned within the casing hanger while being secured to a pipe string;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of a portion of the slip assembly employed on the casing hanger assembly of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view of a latching pin of the casing hanger of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken in longitudinal section of a cross-over dart.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a drilling barge 11 of any suitable fixed or fioatable type is illustrated as floating on the surface of the water 12 and substantially fixedly positioned over a preselected drilling location by being anchored to the ocean floor 13- by anchor lines 14 and 15 running to anchors (not shown) sunk in the second floor. Equipment of this type may be used when carrying out well drilling, well completion, or well maintainence operations in water varying from about 100 to 1500 feet or more. The drilling barge is equipped with a suitable derrick 16 containing fall lines 17 and a hoist 18, as well as other auxiliary equipment needed during the drilling or servicing of a well. Thus, in this instance the drilling rig is shown as being provide-d with a traveling block 21 to which is secured a pair of elevators 22 or other suitable means for connecting to the top of a string of pipe 23. A flexible hose 24 is provided and is adapted to be secured to the top of the pipe string 23 at any time it is desired to provide a source of hydraulic fluid through the pipe string 23. The flexible hose 24 is in communication with a pump 25 or any other suitable source of a hydraulic pressure fluid.

The derrick 16 is positioned over a drilling slot or well 26 which extends vertically through the barge 11 in a conventional manner. When using the equipment of the present invention, the slot 26 in the barge 11 may be either centrally located or extend in from one edge. However, operations with the apparatus of the present invention may be carried out over the side of the barge without use of the slot.

A wellhead support structure, which is represented by a horizontally extending support frame 27 having a casinghead 28 secured thereto and centrally positioned thereon, is illustrated as being anchored to the ocean floor by means of a conductor pipe or surface casing 31 which is installed and preferably cemented in the ocean floor 13. Secured to the wellhead support frame 27 are two or more guide columns 32 and 33 having guide cables 34 and 35 extending vertically therfrom to the drilling barge 11 where they are preferably secured to the barge by means of constant tension winches 36 and 37. The guide cables 34 and 35 are provided for the purpose of guiding pieces of equipment from the barge 11 into alignment on or in the casinghead 28 positioned on the ocean floor. In FIGURE 1, a string of well casing 40 is shown as being lowered into the casinghead 28 by means of a pipe string 23 which extends to the barge 1.1 and is suspended by means of the elevators 22. The well casing 40 has a casing hanger 41 fixedly secured to the top thereof whereby the casing may be hung from the casinghead 28. During the lowering operation, the casing hanger 4 1 is secured to a connector device 42 in a releasable manner, the connector device 42 in turn being fixedly secured to the lower end of the pipe string 23.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the casing hanger body member 41 is shown as being provided with a downwardly and inwardly sloping seating surface or shoulder 39 which is adapted to cooperate with a mating sloping landing shoulder 43 formed on the inner wall of the casinghead 28 or any other suitable casing and tubing suspension housing. One or more O-ring seals 3911 or other suitable packing is preferably carried outwardly on the seating shoulder 39 of the casing hanger for forming a fluidtight seal between shoulders 39 and 43. A landing shoulder 45 may be provided on the inner wall of the casing hanger body member 41 for seating the lower end of the connector device 42 within the bore 46 of the casing hanger 41, or for seating subsequent concentric casing hangers (not shown) therein. Preferably, the seating shoulder 39 is formed on a support ring elment 48 slidably mounted on the outer surface of the casing hanger beneath an annular seal 49 which is compressed against the inner wall of the casing head 28 when the casing hanger is seated on the landing shoulder 43. A support ring stop member 59 is secured to the outer wall of the casing hanger to prevent the support ring elment from dropping off when not in use.

Formed in preferably a recessed manner on the outer surface of the casing hanger body member 41 is a downwardly and outwardly sloping slip bowl which may extend entirely around the circumference of the casing hanger 41 but is preferably in the form of a series of small slip bowls as will be described hereinbelow with regard to FIGURES 3 and 4. Positioned Within each slip bowl 47 is a slip element or slip plate 50, preferably rectangular in shape, as shown in FIGURE 3, and held on the side of the casing hanger 41 in sliding engagement with the slip bowl 47 by means of holding plates '51 and 52 (FIGURE 4) positioned on either side of the slip plate. The holding plates 51 and 52 overlap the edges of the slip plate 50 as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 to hold the slip plate against the casing hanger 51. The lower inner surface 53 of each slip plate 50 is bevelled at the same angle as the slip bowl 47 so that the horizontal teeth or serrations 54 on the outer face of each slip 50 contact the inner surface 55 of the casinghead 28 simultaneously and with substantially equal force when forced thereagainst. As shown in FIGURE 4, the slips 50 are curved along at least their outwardly extending face to conform with the curvature of the inner wall of the casinghead 2'8.

Mounted above each slip plate 50 is one or more compression springs 56 for normally urging the slip plate 50 downwardly when it is free to move. For ease in cocking the slip plates 50 in a retracted position and compressing the springs 56 thereabove, a removable retainer plate 57 is secured, as by screws 58 to the top of the casing hanger 41. The retainer plate 57 extends downwardly on the outside of the casing hanger 41 so as to cover, at least partially, the springs 56 in their compressed position. Instead of employing a separate retainer plate 57 over each set of springs above each slip plate 50, the retainer plate 57 could be in the form of a circular cap adapted to fit down over all of the slip plates in the easing hanger and surround the entire top of the casing hanger 41. The inner lower face '61 of the retainer plate 57 and the outer upper face of the slip plate 50 are bevelled at the same angle which is equal to that of the slip bowl 47.

In order to lock each slip plate 50 in its inoperative position, for example while shipping the casing hanger 41 to the drilling location, at least one screw 63 is provided which preferably extends through the slip plate 50 and is releasably connected to the body member of the casing hanger 41 in a screw-threaded engagement. Alternatively, instead of the screw passing through the slip plate 50, it could be positioned below the slip plate 50 to hold the slip plate in its raised position, as illustrated in the right-hand half of FIGURE 2. At the same time the casing hanger 41 is provided with latching elements which are remotely operable to release the slips from their retracted position to their outwardly extending position.

These latching elements may take the form of a pin 64 having a wedge-shaped or cone-shaped nose adapted to seat in a correspondingly shaped recess 65 formed on the inner surface of the slip plate 50. Alternatively, the latching pin 64 may be positioned to engage the bottom of the slip plate 50' when it is in its raised position. The latching pin 64 may be positioned opposite one of the grooves 67 formed on the inner surface of the casing hanger 41 for latching a connector tool thereto, as will be described hereinbelow.

:In cooking the spring-loaded slip segments 50' of the present casing hanger 41 prior to running it in a well, the retainer plate 57 or plates are removed from the casing hanger 41 by removing the screws 58. The locking screws '63 are then inserted through the slips 50 and threaded into the casing hanger of body member 41 in the position shown on the right-hand side of FIGURE 2. The compression springs 56 are then positioned over the slip plate 54 and the retainer plate '57 is forced down along with the springs and is again anchored by installing screws 58 in the top of the body member 41. In this position, as shown in the right-hand side of FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the slips are in their cocked position and would snap downwardly except for the locking screw 63.

At the drilling location the casing hanger 41 is screwthreaded or welded at the top of a section of casing 40 in a conventional manner. The connector device 42 of the running tool is then inserted into the bore 46 of the easing hanger 41 and securely latched to the casing hanger 41 by a series of outwardly extendible latching dogs 70 adapted to seat in the grooves 67 on the inner surface of the casing hanger 41. The diameter of the connector housing 71 of the connector device 42 at the point opposite the latching pin 64 is substantially equal to the bore 46 of the casing hanger 41 at that point, so that with the latching dogs 70 seated in the grooves 67 the latching pins 64 cannot move into the bore. In this condition the locking screws 63 may be removed from each of the slip plates 50 with the latching pin 64 seated in the recesses 65 now holding the slip plates 50 in their raised inoperative position. Preferably, the casing hanger 41 and the connector device 42 are provided with cooperating aligning means, such for example as vertically-extending lugs 97 on the upper edge of the casing hanger which are spaced to register with and fit within receiving slots 98 cut in the flange 99 of the connector device 42. The aligning means are to insure that the dogs 70 are in back of the pins 64 of .the hanger in order to hold the pins in place.

With the pipe string 23 connected to the top of the connector device 42, which in turn is latched to the inner surface of the casing hanger 41, the entire assembly is lowered from the barge 11 (FIGURE 1) downwardly, as illustrated, until the casing hanger 41 is seated on the shoulder 43 (FIGURE 2) within the casinghead 28. At this time the connector device 42 is unlatched from the casing hanger 41 and Withdrawn upwardly therefrom. The rear portion of the latching pin 64 merely extends into the grooves 67 where it is out of the way of anything moving down the bore of the casing hanger 41.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the pipe string 23 and the connector device 42 form a running tool for lowering the casing hanger 41 and the casing 40 suspended therefrom into the well casinghead 28. The connector device 42 comprises a connector housing 71 having a plurality of outwardly-extendible latching elements 70 carried in vertical recesses in the side wall of the housing 71. The latching elements or dogs 70 are of a size so that they pass completely through the side wall of the connector housing 71 and have a portion extending beyond the side wall of the housing 41, either into the grooves 67 in the inner wall of the casing hanger 41 or into a chamber 72, preferably cylindrical in form, which is formed within the Connector o sing 71. Mounted for sliding vertical movement within the chamber 72 is an annular piston 73 whose height is such as to permit a certain amount of vertical movement within the chamber 72. A series of recesses or a circular recess or groove 74 is formed on the outer wall of the piston 73 and is of a size to receive a portion or the latching dogs 70 thereinto, as shown in the left-hand half of FIGURE 2. When the latching dog 70 has entered the recess 74 and the piston 73 as far as it can go, no portion of the latching dog 70 extends beyond the vertical side face of the connector housing 71. Each latching dog 70 is held within the connector housing 71 by means of a holding pin 75 which extends through a slot 76 in the latching dogs 70 that is wide enough to permit the horizontal movement of the latching dog relative to the connector housing 71. The piston 73 is preferably provided with one or more 0- ring seals 77, 78 and 81.

Formed on the inner wall of the connector housing 71 is a seat or shoulder 82 adapted to receive thereon a dart 83 or any other suitable type of closure member or plug for closing the bore 84 of the connector housing 71. In the event that cementing operations are to be carried out through the connector housing 71, a pipe string known as a cementing string 85, may have its upper end connected to the lower end of the connector housing 71.

The bottom of the piston 73 is in communication with the bore 84 of the connector housing 71 below the seat 82 by means of one or more ports 86. In one form of the running tool of the present invention, the space in the chamber 72 above the piston 73 is in communication with the bore 84 of the connector housing 71 at a point above the seat 82 through conduit 90.

In one mode of operation of the connector device 42, the latching dogs 70 are forced into engagement with the grooves 67 of a casing hanger 41 by applying a pressure fluid through the bore of the connector device 42, with the dart 83 in place, and thence through conduit 90'. As the piston 73 is pushed downwardly by .the fluid pressure, the latching dogs 70 are pushed horizontally outwardly, as shown in the right-hand half of FIGURE 2, While any fluid below the piston 73 is discharged out the port 86. With the connector device 42 engaging the casing hanger 41 it is possible to run the casing 40 and its hanger 41 into a casinghead 28 located on the ocean floor by lowering the connected devices by means of a pipe string 23. When the casing hanger 41 has been seated in the casinghead 28, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the latching dogs 71 are retracted from the engaging groove 67 in the casing hanger 41 in the following manner. A retrieving tool is run down the pipe string 23 to latch onto the fishing neck 87 of the dart 83, after which the dart is pulled to the surface. A cross-over dart 88 (FIG- URE 6) is dropped or circulated down through the pipe string 23 and into the bore 84 of the connector housing 71 where it seats on the shoulder 82. The cross-over dart 88 is provided with sealing elements 91 and 92 which become positioned above and below port 90, while 'an other sealing element 93 is positioned below port 86. One fluid passageway '94 in the dart 88 is in communication between the space above the dart and the space above seal 93 but below the seat 95. A second fluid passageway is in communication through the dart 88 between the space below the dart and the space between the sealing elements 91 and 92. Seating of the dart 88 on the shoulder 82 isolates port 90 from any pressure in the pipe string 23 above the dart 88. Hydraulic pressure fluid is then applied at the top of the pipe string 23 (FIGURE 1) by means of a hose 24 which is connected to the top of the pipe string 23 after which hydraulic pressure fluid is pumped down through the pipe string 23 by pump 25. Since hydraulic pressure fluid is prevented by dart 88 (FIGURE 6) from continuing down the well, the hydraulic pressure fluid enters port 86 and flows beneath the piston 73 to force the piston 73 upwardly to a position shown in the left-hand half of FIGURE 2. When the piston 73 is in this position the latching dogs 70 will be automatically forced into the wall of the connector housing 71 when tension is applied to the pipe string to pull the pipe string 23 and the connector device 42 out of the casing hanger 41. The pipe string 23 and the connector device are then pulled upwardly to the barge 11 at the surface.

The running tool of the present invention provides connector means which are adapted to mate with a casing hanger for lowering a casing and its casing hanger into seating position within a casinghead, with the entire apparatus being inserted through a blowout prcventer if necessary. Afterwards, the connector means is adapted to be released hydraulically from a remote location such as a barge on the ocean surface.

The connector device 42 of FIGURE 2 may also be used to retrieve a casing hanger 41 and its casing 40 from a well in the event that the .casing 40 has not been cemented in the well. This operation is carried out by employing the connector device 42 of FIGURE 2 with the dart 83. When fluid is pumped down pipe string 23, the dart 8-3 channels the pressure fluid into port 90 causing the piston to be driven downwardly, engaging dogs 7 0 while fluid below the piston is discharged through port 86.

Cementing operations can be carried out with safety with cement being pumped through the present .tool without possibility of the piston 73 being [forced upwardly and the dogs 70 becoming u-nlatched as actuating pressure fluid enters the piston chamber through conduit 90 from the bore 84 at a point above the seat 8-2 while the discharge port 86 is .below the seat or bore constriction 82 across which a pressure drop exists. No cement enters the ports 86 and or the chambers above and below the piston 73 since they are filled with fluid pumped ahead of the cement during cementing operations. Additionally, the piston 73 is unbalanced su ficiently to insure it staying in a down position, i.e., the eflective area at the top of the piston is greater than at the bottom. While the present invention has been described with regard to lowering a well casing and casing hanger into a well, it is clear that the same running tool connector device may be employed to run other pieces of equipment down to an underwater well or retrieve them from the well, as desired.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of copending application, Serial No. 48,647, filed August 10, 1960.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for installing, from an operational base positioned above a body of water, strings of casing and tubing in a well drilled in the formation below the body of water and hanging said strings within a Well casinghead fixedly positioned at a substantial depth below the surface of the water, said apparatus comprising an operational base positioned above a body of water and above said well casinghead covered with water, an elongated pipe string normally supported from said operational base and adapted to extend to said casinghead, hydraulically-actuated connector means having a bore therethrough and being secured to the lower end of said pipe string, outwardly-extendible latching elements carried by said connector means for engaging one of said strings at least partially surrounding said connector means, actuating means carried by said connector means and operatively engaging said latching elements, conduit means in said connector means in communication between the bore thereof and the actuating means tor introducing a pressure fluid thereto to move said actuating means against said latching elements to torce them outwardly, a seating shoulder termed within the wall forming the bore of said connector means below said conduit means, and plug means positionable on said seating shoulder for closing the bore of said "connector means.

*2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a source of pressure fluid connectible i-n fluid communication to the tends to said casinghead.

3. Running tool connector device for connecting the lower end of a pipe string to a casing hanger aflixed to the top of a string of casing to be run into a Well and seated in a well casinghead positioned underwater, said connector device comprising "a connector housing having a vertical lbore therethrough, piston chamber means formed within said housing, a plurality of outwardly-extendible latching elements carried in recesses within said housing on the outer surface thereof, said latching elements being of a size to extend into said piston chamber means in their retracted positions and outwardly from said housing in their operative position, piston means slidably positioned within said piston chamber means for actuating said latching elements, first conduit means in said housing in communication between the bore of said housing and the piston chamber means to one side of said piston means for introducing a pressure fluid thereto and discharging said pres-sure fluid there-from, and second conduit means in said housing in communication between other side of said piston and said bore of said housing for introduc ing a pressure fluid thereto to move said piston means and said latching elements in one direction upon the closing of the bore below one of said conduit means.

4. Running tool connector device 'for connecting the lower end of a pipe string to a casing hanger affixed to the top of a string of casing to be run into a well and seated in a well casinghead positioned underwater, said connector device comprising a connector housing having a vertical bore there/through, an annular piston chamber formed within said housing, a plurality of outWardly-extendible latching elements carried in recesses within said housing on the outer surface thereof, said latching elements being of a size to extend into said piston chamber in their retracted position and outwardly cfrom said housing in their operative position, piston means slidably positioned within said chamber -for actuating said latching elements, first conduit means in said housing in communication between the bore of said housing and the piston chamber to one side of said piston means for introducing a pressure fluid thereto and discharging said pressure fluid therefrom, second conduit means in said housing in communication between other side of said piston means and said bore of said housing below said first conduit means for introducing a pressure fluid thereto to move said piston means and allow said latching elements to be retracted, a seating shoulder formed on 8, the wall forming the bore of said housing between said first and second conduit means, and plug means positionable on said seating shoulder for closing the bore of said housing against free flow therethrough.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 including aligning means carried outwardly on said connector housing and cooperating aligning means carried in a well casinghead engageable therewith.

6. Running tool connector device for connecting the lower end of a pipe string to a casing hanger aflixed to the top of a string of casing to be run into a well and seated in a well casing-bead positioned underwater, said connector device comprising a connector housing having a vertical bore therethrough, an annular piston chamber formed within said housing, a plurality of outwardly-extendible latching elements carried in recesses within said housing on the outer surface thereof, said latching elements being of a size to extend into said piston chamber in their retracted posit-ion and outwardly from said housing in their operative position, piston means slidably positioned within said chamber for actuating said latching elements, first conduit means in said housing in communication between the bore of said housing and the piston chamber to one side of said piston means for introducing a pressure fluid thereto and discharging said pressure fluid therefrom, second conduit means in said housing in communication between other side of said piston means and said bore of said housing for introducing a pressure fluid thereto to move said piston means and allow said latching elements to be retracted, a seating shoulder :Eormed on the wall forming the bore of said housing between said first and second conduit means, plug means positionable on said seating shoulder for closing the bore of said housing against free flow therethrough, first fluid passageway means through said plug means in communication between the firstconduit means in said housing at the bore thereof and the space below said plug means, and second fluid passageway means through said plug means in communication between second conduit means in said housing at the bore thereof and the space above said plug means.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,479 Karnmerer July 16, 1957 2,917,281 Kodfa'hl Dec. 15, 1959 2,962,096 Knox Nov. 29, 1960 

1. APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING FROM AN OPERATIONAL BASE POSITIONED ABOVE A BODY OF WATER, STRINGS OF CASING AND TUBING IN A WELL DRILLED IN THE FORMATION BELOW THE BODY OF WATER AND HANGING SAID STRINGS WITHIN A WELL CASINGHEAD FIXEDLY POSITIONED AT A SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN OPERATIONAL BASE POSITIONED ABOVE A BODY OF WATER AND ABOVE SAID WELL CASINGHEAD COVERED WITH WATER, AN ELONGATED PIPE STRING NORMALLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID OPERATIONAL BASE AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND TO SAID CASINGHEAD, HYDRAULICALLY-ACTUATED CONNECTOR MEANS HAVING A BORE THERETHOUGH AND BEING SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID PIPE STRING, OUTWARDLY-EXTENDIBLE LATCHING ELEMENTS CARRIED BY SAID CONNECTOR MEANS FOR ENGAGING ONE OF SAID STRINGS AT LEAST PARTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID CONNECTOR MEANS, ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CONNECTOR MEANS AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAID LATCHING ELEMENTS, CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID CONNECTOR MEANS IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BORE THEREOF AND THE ACTUATING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A PRESSURE FLUID THERETO TO MOVE SAID ACTUATING MEANS AGAINST SAID LATCHING ELEMENTS TO FORCE THEM OUTWARDLY, A SEATING SHOULDER FORMED WITHIN THE WALL FORMING THE BORE OF SAID CONNECTOR MEANS BELOW SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND PLUG MEANS POSITIONABLE ON SAID SEATING SHOULDER FOR CLOSING THE BORE OF SAID CONNECTOR MEANS. 